The teacher of Mind-healing who is not a Christian, in the highest sense,
is constantly sowing the seeds of discord and disease. Even the truth he
speaks is more or less blended with error; and this error will spring
up in the mind of his pupil. The pupil's imperfect knowledge will lead
to weakness in practice, and he will be a poor practitioner, if not a
malpractitioner.

The basis of malpractice is in erring human will, and this will is an
outcome of what I call _mortal mind_,--a false and temporal sense
of Truth, Life, and Love. To heal, in Christian Science, is to base your
practice on immortal Mind, the divine Principle of man's being; and this
requires a preparation of the heart and an answer of the lips from the
Lord.

The Science of healing is the Truth of healing. If one is untruthful, his
mental state weighs against his healing power; and similar effects come
from pride, envy, lust, and all fleshly vices.

The spiritual power of a scientific, right thought, without a direct
effort, an audible or even a mental argument, has oftentimes healed
inveterate diseases.

The thoughts of the practitioner should be imbued with a clear conviction
of the omnipotence and omnipresence of God; that He is All, and that there
can be none beside Him; that God is good, and the producer only of good;
and hence, that whatever militates against health, harmony, or holiness,
is an unjust usurper of the throne of the controller of all mankind. Note
this, that if you have power in error, you forfeit the power that Truth
bestows, and its salutary influence on yourself and others.